Vehicle top construction.



' vean, a citizen of the United States,

. are pivotally connected WEEE@ STATES .avrn E. vANnnvnEn, or DETROIT, 1v1

ra'rnnfr ormoni.

ICHIGAN, SSIGNOB T0 THE CLEVELAND VEHICLE TOP CONSTRUCTION.

l Specification of Letters Patent.

Patenten June 17, 1913.

application mea August 1, 1910. serial' No. 574,905.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID E. VANDER- residing at Detroit, inthe county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invent-ed certain new an useful Improvements in Vehicle Top Construction; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to-4 the char-I acters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. This invention relates to a vehicle top construction, especially designed for use in connection with automobiles, and consists in the construction and arran ement ofparts hereinaiter' more fully'set tgorth and pointed out particularly in the claims.

rlhe object of the invention is to provide simple and eilicient means for supporting the Jfront extension of the top, and at the same time aHord convenience and facility in getting into'or out of the carriage or vehicle when the top is raised, provision beingl made for easily and quickl collapsing an lowering the top and for olding the bows ot the top evenly and compactly when the top is lowered. y

'Ehe above object is attained by the structure illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of a vehicle top constructed in accordance with my invention, showing the top extended. Fig.

2 is a similar view of the parts with thel osition and the fabric cov-l top in the folded ering omitted." i 3 is a transverse section on line 3-3 o Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a clip which is attached to the middle bow socket, a pivoted link which connects the end of the front bow socket with said clip, and a fitting at the end of the front bow socket which is connected to the upper end of the link, said parts being disassembled.

Referring to the characters of reference, 1 and 2 designate the rear' and middle bow members or bow sockets, respectively, which to suitable fittings on the body 3. It is ordinarily the custom to pivot the front bow members or bow sockets 4 upon the pivot 5 of the middle bow sockets or adjacent thereto,`but in order to aiord more room under the front bow sockets 4 sc as to make it more conlvenie t for the drivers of automobiles to lea-ve and enter the front seat of a car when the top is raised, 1t 1s desirable to raise the rontbow sockets so that they willV lie in the plane shown in said bow sockets 1n order to permitY the to to fold, as shown 1n Fig. 2. l'll'.o accomplis this result, the links 6 'and' clips 7 are em'- rigidly secured' to ployed, said clips bein n the lower ends of the bow sockets 2 a said links being pivoted at 8 toy said clips,-

while the upper ends of .said links are pivoted at 9 to the fittings 10 at thelower ends of the front bow sockets. Upon the links 6 aire formed the curved jaw members 11 which embrace the bow sockets 2l when the top is raised o`r 'extended and brace the links and he front bow sockets against lateral movement. When the top isv extended," as shown in Fig. 1, and the ordinary strapszll attached thereto, the front extension of the top is irml supported in a manner which allows the river to freely enter thecar or ali ht therefrom without the annoyance of d ging the common arrangement.

When it is desired to lower the top, the straps 12 are released and the links 6 swung downwardly, thereby carrying downwardly the lower ends of the front bow sockets 4 ily folded rearwardly, as shown in Fig. 2, the links 6 lying between and parallel with the bow sockets 2 and 4, and the lower ends of the front bow sockets parts are held firmly in position.

into a position to enable the top to be readlying in the jaws 11 to enable the parts to assume close prox front bow sockets Fig. 1 when the top -is extended. Where are raised to afford.

under the front bow sockets, as in ino Having thus fully set forth my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. In a carriage top, the vertical bow sockets, the front bow sockets lying in a substantially horizontal plane, vertically disposed links pivotally connected at their ends to the vertical bow sockets, the other ends of said links being pivoted to the inner ends of the horizontal bow sockets, which when the top is extended project from the upper ends of said links at substantially right angles thereto, said links serving wholly to support the inner ends of. said sockets at a'point well above the pivotal point of attachment of the lower ends of said links, and means for locking the upper ends of said links to the vertical bow sockets to hold them against lateral movement when supporting the pivoted ends of the horizontal bow sockets.

2. In a carriage top, the vertical bow sockets, the substantially horizontal bow sockets, vertically disposed links, said links being pivoted atthelr ends to the central portion of the vertical bow sockets to swing in either direction into parallel relation therewith, the other` ends of said links being pivoted to the inner ends of the horizontal bow sockets to wholly support and carry. the

pivoted ends of said horizontal bow sockets,

when the top is extended, and means carried by said links engaging the Vertical bow sockets and coperating therewith to hold the upper ends of the links against lateral movement when supporting the pivoted ends of said horizontal bow sockets with the top extended, said holding means also serving to lock the parts against lateral movement when the top is folded.

3. In acarriage top, the vertical bow sockets, the front bow sockets lying in a substantially horizontal plane, vertically disposed` links, pivotally connected at their lower ends to the vertical bow sockets to normally lie substantially parallel thereto,

the upper ends of said links being pivoted to the inner ends of the horizontal bow sockets, which, when the top is extended project from the upper ends of said links at substantially right angles thereto, said links serving wholly to support the inner ends of said horizontal sockets at a point well above the pivotal point of attachment of the lower ends of said links, means for securing the upper ends of said links to the vertical bow sockets to hold them against lateral movement when supporting the pivoted ends of the horizontal bow sockets, anda strap connected with the front ends of the horizont-al bow sockets to exert a downward strain thereon. v

4t. In Aa carriage top, the vertical bow sockets, the front bow sockets lying in a substantially horizontal plane, vertically disposed links pivotally connected `at their ends to the vertical bow sockets', the other ends of said links being pivoted to the inner ends of the horizontal bow sockets, which when the top is extended project from the upper ends of said links at substantially right angles-theretm said links serving wholly to support the inner ends of said sockets at a point well"above the pivotal point of attachment of the lower ends of said links, and means for preventing lateral lmovement of the links relative to the bows when the topisin either its extended or collapsed position.

5. In a vehicle top having a verticallydisposed bow and a diagonal or brace bow, a shortening device connecting said bows and comprising a lever pivotally connected at one end to said vertically-disposed bow and at its other end to said diagonal or brace bow, said lever having a U-Shaped extension at its outer end adapted to embrace said vertically-disposed bow when the top is raised and to embrace said diagonal or brace bow when the top is folded.

6. In a vehicle-top, and in combination with its forward main bow and front bow, a link pivotally connected at one end to the main bow above its lower end and at its other end pivotally connected to the lower end of the front bow, and adapted by its swinging movement to shift the lower end of the front bow upwardly when the top is up and downwardly when the top is lowered, said link being provided with steadying flanges engaging the main bow when the top is up.

7. In a vehicle top construction, a main bow member and a top extension bow member, a link extending between and having a pivotal connection with each of said bow members said link and main bow member being substantially parallel when the top is extended, and means for holding the link and main bow member together when the top is extended so as to prevent relative lateral movement of said parts.

8. In a vehicle top construction, a main bow member and a top extension bow member, a link extend 'ng between and having a pivotal connection with each of said members, and' means for preventing relative lateral movement between the main bow member and link when the top is extended, comprising a device associated with one of said parts and adapted to interlock with the other of sa'id parts. f

9. In a vehicle top construction, a main bow member and a top extension bow member, a link member extending between and having a pivotal connection with each of said bow members and adapted to be swung upwardly to a position substantially par-A allel to the main bow member when the top is extended and to be swung downwardly to *bow member, a top extension bow member,

VVotal connection with each of said bow memf lbers and adapted to lie substantiall pari is either extended or collapsed, and means a position substantially parallel to the main bow member when the top is collapsed, an means for preventing relative movement between said members when the link member is in a position substantiall parallel to the main bow member, comprising a'device carand adapted to interlock ber, a link member extending between and having a pivotal connection with each o said bow members, and adapted to be swung from an uppei` osition substantially parsition substantially parallel to the main bow member, and means or holding said members together when the link member is sub; stantially parallel to the main bow member', -lcomprising means carried by one of said 30 members and having' a 4recessed portion which receives another of said members.

In testimony whereof, I sign this speciication ,in lthe presence of two witnesses.

ried by one member with another member. Y

10. In a vehicle top construction, a main a link egtending between and having a p1vallel to themain bow member when t e top for holding the link and one of' said bow DAVID E. VANDERVEER.

members together when said parts are subi Witnesses: stantially parallel. 'l Y I. G. IIOWLETT,

11. In a vehicle top construction, a main E. S. WHEEIER.

bow member and a top extension bow mem- 20 allel to the mam ow member to a lower po 25, I 

